History Tidbit
The Blue Ridge Mountains: Oldest on Earth?

That’s what many claim. One of several mountain ranges that collectively make up the Appalachian Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains were formed from rocks believed to be more than a billion years old.

The Appalachians were created when huge tectonic plates that formed the earth’s crust collided violently about 250 million years ago, causing slabs of crust to bend and wrinkle like they were made of fabric.

At one time, these mountains may have been higher than the Rockies or the Alps, but weather and other erosion have worn them to the gentle peaks they are today.

The Blue Ridge Mountains got their name from the typical blue haze that laces around the peaks. The Cherokee called this the “Land of the Blue Mist.”

The highest peak east of the Mississippi River is Mount Mitchell, which rises to 6,684 feet. Mount Mitchell can be seen from certain areas in the Swannanoa Valley.

Animals, early humankind, Indians, pioneers, and modern mankind have struggled over time to find pathways across the Blue Ridge that would lead them into the mountains of Western North Carolina.

To see a video presentation by the USGS on the history of the Southern Appalachians entitled "The Southern Appalachians A Changing World click here.

Discover these pathways at the Swannanoa Valley Museum.

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